Farmed Animal Watch - September 11, 2003

1. Canadian Slaughterplants Fail Welfare Audit
2. Ill/Injured Cattle in Canadian Human Food Supply
3. Dead Canadian Farmed Animals an Increasing Concern
4. U.S. Permits Canadian Beef, Cattle Still Banned
5. KFC Supplier Subject of Expose'
6. PETA Drops KFC Lawsuit
7. KFC Advertising
8. Welfare Reforms: Reasons & Wrongs
9. COK Profiled
10 U.S. Dietary Guidelines/Food Pyramid (Comments Deadline)
11 National Farm Animal Awareness Week: Sanctuaries

1. CANADIAN SLAUGHTERPLANTS FAIL WELFARE AUDIT
Excessive use of electric prods, cattle falling on slippery floors, and cattle hung upside down and bellowing as their throats were slit were among the findings of a recent audit of Canadian slaughterplants. Dr. Temple Grandin, who conducted the survey, expressed shock at seeing 3 cattle each hanging by one leg as poorly trained workers tried to kill them. Plants automatically failed the audit if but one cow was found hung upside down while still conscious. The audit was conducted about a month after a case of "mad cow" disease was discovered in Canada (see N.17, V.2), although it was commissioned last year, by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). It was not made public until Grandin posted the results earlier this month. The federally inspected slaughterplants (5 cattle plants including one kosher plant, 9 pig plants, and 2 chicken plants) volunteered for the audit and knew Grandin was coming. Two beef plants failed, one for using electric prods on 90% of the cattle, and one chicken plant failed for receiving too many birds with broken wings. In the past, Canadian plants have scored better than U.S. plants. "[T]he audit paints a picture of an industry slipping behind the U.S. on animal welfare issues," the article says. According to Grandin, the problems could be addressed with better worker training and regular plant and equipment maintenance. CFIA inspectors are now reportedly working to make sure the concerns are addressed. The survey report can be accessed at: http://www.grandin.com/survey/canadian.welfare.audits.html

2. ILL/INJURED CATTLE IN CANADIAN HUMAN FOOD SUPPLY
The Canadian Food Inspection Service (CFIA, see also item #1) is recommending that nonambulatory animals, those too ill or injured to stand or walk, not be transported to slaughter. An article published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal, co-written by CFIA veterinarian Gord Doonan, states: "The marketing of livestock compromised by disease or injury degrades the welfare of the animal; is an economic burden to the producer, the transporter and the processor; damages the prestige of the livestock production industry; and potentially endangers public health." Doonan says if animals can't be treated at the farm they should be killed there. Currently, Canadian law allows cattle to be transported for up to 53 continuous hours without food, water or exercise. If they collapse en route to slaughter, they can be dragged from the truck with a chain. While CFIA does not keep national statistics on it, in Ontario in 2001, 7,328 nonambulatory cattle were observed at federally inspected plants, of whom only 37% were condemned from entering the human food supply. CFIA will mail a consultation paper to industry stakeholders outlining its proposal later this year. A similar ban it attempted to implement a decade ago was resisted by ranchers and slaughterplant owners who said it would cost them too much. (See also: http://www.nodowners.org )

Since 1994, the Alberta Farm Animal Care Association has been pleading with truckers, marketers, ranchers and feedlot owners to remedy the problem of unfit and nonambulatory ("downer") animals being sent to slaughter. It has begun the "Downer Benchmarking Project" to support improvement of the welfare of cattle, pigs and horses transported in the province. Both industry and enforcement agencies' support has been enlisted. The project will first identify and benchmark the incidence of animals in transit, at slaughterplants and at the border entering the U.S., who are too ill or injured to rise or remain standing or walk without assistance. Materials will then be prepared to educate the industry on ways to reduce the incidence of these animals. A re-evaluation of the problem will follow the education effort. See: http://afac.ab.ca/Reports.htm

3. DEAD CANADIAN FARMED ANIMALS AN INCREASING CONCERN
Prior to May 20th, rendering companies in Canada would pick up dead cattle for free. The bodies, along with the remains from slaughterplants, were a primary ingredient in nonruminant animal food, soap and many other products. After the declaration of "mad cow" disease in Canada on that date, the U.S. closed its border to Canadian bone meal originating from cattle, further limiting an already shrinking market for it. Renderers are now charging to dispose of dead animals, and are sending some rendered product to landfills. There is growing concern that dead animals will instead be buried or discarded, putting the environment and the country's animal-health status at risk. The recent meat scandal (see N.28, V.2) has further raised suspicions. Canada could resolve the issue by following the European Community's rendering regulations, which require dead animals, those suspected of having "mad cow" disease, and certain high-risk body parts are to be rendered in a separate facility and kept out of the food chain. A Guelph agriculture consultant and veterinarian remarked: "If we are going to continue to eat meats, this [issue] is, unfortunately, one of the spinoffs of that activity that from a societal point of view we have to deal with."

4. U.S. PERMITS CANADIAN BEEF, CATTLE STILL BANNED
In early September, the U.S. imported 39,000 pounds of Canadian veal, the first beef imported from Canada since trade was suspended in May (see item #3). The U.S. had said it would only accept Canadian meat processed in slaughterplants that dealt exclusively with cattle under 30 months of age (see item #2: http://tinyurl.com/n13c ). It subsequently reduced that demand to one that enables food inspectors to "trace back and ensure there is control over the beef carcass up to the point [of] cutting, boning, packaging and identifying those products." It is estimated the relaxed ban will allow Canada to resume about 40% of its normal beef trade. Live Canadian cattle exports remain banned by all countries. In the U.S., a public comment period will precede resumed imports. A Federal Register notice on the comment period is anticipated soon: http://tinyurl.com/n1et

5. KFC SUPPLIER SUBJECT OF EXPOSE'
Some birds are so lame and deformed they can only drag themselves to the food and water troughs by their wings. Others stand motionless, too dazed or dying to move. There are more than 36,000 chickens here in huge windowless sheds. The conditions they have to endure during their short, brutal lives are so horrific it defies belief. So begins an article in the Sunday Mirror (U.K.) about an undercover investigation of one of KFC's chicken suppliers. Wrawby Farm, through the huge 2 Sisters Food Group, also supplies chickens to some of the U.K.'s largest grocery chains. 2 Sisters was named FKC's "Supplier of the Year" in 2001, and has received awards from the RSPCA for its "outstanding contributions to animal welfare." The investigation was conducted with the assistance of Hillside Animal Sanctuary. Hillside has called on the government to take immediate action against the cruelty. Both KFC and 2 Sisters said any mistreatment of animals by their suppliers would be in violation of their contract/standards. An RSPCA spokesperson said the organization is "extremely concerned" with the allegations and asked to review the footage.

The graphic photo layout of the popular tabloid's article can be seen at: http://kfccruelty.com/images/kfcuk2.jpg The article notes that in the U.S., PETA researchers found that birds raised for KFC reached slaughter weight (4.5 pounds) in a mere 41 days, growing so quickly that many die of organ failure. A brief overview entitled "The Life of a Chicken" is also included. A companion opinion piece by the Sunday Mirror concludes: "Guaranteeing that all the chickens they use have been kept in decent conditions will do as much for KFC's image as any amount of cheerful advertising": http://tinyurl.com/lrp1 (see also item #7). Information on a recent undercover investigation of an Australian KFC supplier can be found at: http://www.goveg.com/a-austkfc.html

6. PETA DROPS KFC LAWSUIT
PETA has dropped a lawsuit against KFC after the company agreed to change statements on its website and in its customer-service scripts that PETA said were false. Under the agreement, KFC telephone operators are to no longer reject claims made in the lawsuit that "the birds raised and killed for [KFC's] operations suffer great pain and injuries in massive numbers," but will instead say "KFC disagrees with PETA's claims. KFC believes that animals should be treated humanely. For this reason, KFC has established animal welfare guidelines for vendors who supply KFC restaurants with chicken" (see: http://www.kfc.com/about/animalwelfare.htm ). PETA is continuing its campaign to get the company's suppliers to cease certain practices (see N.14, V.2) and has enlisted the support of celebrities and the NAACP (see: http://www.kfccruelty.com/openmfume.html ). PETA is also calling for the prosecution of KFC supplier, Tyson Foods, for "deliberate torture" of chickens at one of its slaughterplants (see: http://www.goveg.com/tyson.html ).

7. KFC ADVERTISING
PETA is demonstrating against two advertising agencies to discourage them from pursuing the KFC account, worth $225 million. Foote Cone & Belding (Chicago) and BBDO (New York), the incumbent on the account, are being targeted. The demo, outside the corporate offices, includes a giant crippled chicken character on crutches to draw attention to what PETA maintains is KFC's unwillingness to adopt minimal welfare standards for the 750 million chickens it uses annually. PETA claims Jason Alexander (Seinfeld's "George") was dropped by KFC after he met with PETA's Ingrid Newkirk and then expressed concerns to the company about the way chickens were being treated. BBDO, which introduced Alexander as the KFC spokesperson, contends the actor was let go due to slumping sales. (For a detailed account, see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13701-2003Jul5.html )

8. WELFARE REFORMS: REASONS & WRONGS
Reforms in farmed-animal production are in part due to controversial animal-rights activists, including violent extremists, asserts this article appearing in Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle (see item #3 of N.27, V.2). The changes, ranging from animal welfare guidelines to the labeling of alternatively produced meat, signal "a major cultural and scientific shift for a country that for the past 50 years has watched farms get bigger and more automated and food prices drop." Public opinion is said to be the driving force. Meat from alternatively raised animals from small farms is now a "fashionable menu item in San Francisco and other top food cities" (see N.25, V.2). Major food retailers have also instituted animal welfare standards for their suppliers to meet. Inspections of these suppliers are soon to take off, and an independent certification network is springing up. PETA's efforts against what it considers to be misleading advertising are noted (see also item #7), and the actions of alternative producers, chefs and food retailers are mentioned.

Dr. Joy Mench, director of the Animal Welfare Center at UC Davis, who has helped orchestrate many of the industry reforms, believes that while activists did bring the issues into the public eye it is societal interest in organic/natural foods, better quality meat, and concern for small farms that drives the changes. The general manager of Acme Chop House and Jardinierre (see #3, N.27, V.2) concurs, noting "Americans are profoundly committed to not thinking about how the food on their plate arrived there." The owner of a vegan restaurant, who also works as the official chef for PETA, tells that her customers are both concerned about their health and the welfare of animals.

It is generally agreed, according to the article, that because there are few existing federal regulations regarding farmed animal welfare, the only way to change agriculture is through consumer purchasing power. According to Diane Halverson, of the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), recent surveys show that people are overwhelmingly in favor of improved conditions for farmed animals and are willing to pay for them. AWI has a program to certify pig farms that do not use confinement crates, provide bedding material and exercise opportunities, and prohibit drugs and feed containing animal byproducts (see: http://www.awionline.org/farm/standards.htm ). The controversy over what constitutes humane care is examined, particularly for cattle slaughter and poultry housing. Regarding the standards created by McDonald's and others, Halverson states: "These are not animal-welfare standards, they are standards of cruelty." Mench contends that, given the predominant production systems and the expense of alternative systems, the new standards are "a very good initial step" for the U.S., even while Europe is moving away from the systems.

9. COK PROFILED
The Washington, D.C.-based animal rights organization, Compassion Over Killing (COK), was profiled in the September 8th Washington Post. The article, "Animal Pragmatism: Compassion Over Killing Wants to Make the Anti-Meat Message a Little More Palatable," explains the strategy the group is taking. Founder Paul Shapiro acknowledges that giving up meat and dairy products might be a daunting endeavor for most people. "What if we convert two people to be vegetarian half the time?" he asks. "That's the same as converting one person to be vegetarian all the time, and it's probably easier." Author David Montgomery writes: "It's not a message of compromise. It's something perhaps more shrewd: a message of welcome to flesh-eaters, on the theory that this will more effectively bring about the meat-free millennium....They're that particularly Washington breed of true believer: more pragmatic than absolutist." Asking if this type of activism is effective, Montgomery gives examples of industry's recognition of the group and PETA's praise for it. COK's focus on farmed animals is explained: Given that "Americans eat more than 9 billion land-dwelling animals a year....COK decided the most effective way to reduce animal suffering is to get more people to stop eating them, and advocate better treatment of creatures raised for slaughter. The tiniest bit of progress there would do the most good for the most animals. It was a practical calculation."

The Style section feature relates the group's genesis in 1995, its tactical history and strategic conversion. "We've come to realize that we often persuade more people by being friendly than by being hostile," Shapiro says. Last year COK raised $163,000. It now has 3 minimally paid staff members and 2,500 dues-paying members. Its primary campaigning is against the egg industry, with covert documentation, hen removal (see issue #96), and legal action (see N.21, V.2). Two egg industry representatives dispute COK's allegations. In particular, the controversy over the industry's "Animal Care Certified" logo is discussed (see N.21, V.2). Adele Douglass [head of Certified Humane, see N.21, V.2], who sat on the egg industry's animal welfare panel, contends that the industry deserves credit for the initiative. Egg consumption rates are considered, and some key animal rights victories are listed. The impressions that COK's weekly [summer] exhibit on the National Mall and FaunaVision video display make on passerbys is described. The article concludes with a visit to a rural home where some of the hens COK removed from egg operations now reside, engaging in natural behaviors they were unable to previously. The 2-page print version of the article includes 6 color photos. The on-line article can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40372-2003Sep7.html

10. U.S. DIETARY GUIDELINES/FOOD PYRAMID (COMMENTS DEADLINE)
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans report, published every 5 years, is the basis for all federal nutrition programs and influences the Food Guide Pyramid published by the USDA. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (see below) will hold a public meeting September 23-24th in Washington D.C. Pre-registration is required and can be done by calling: 202-690-7102. Written comments on the guidelines must be received by September 16th and can be sent to: dietaryguidelines@osophs.dhhs.gov, or to Kathryn McMurry, Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Room 738-G, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201.

The Food Guide Pyramid is intended to help Americans eat nutritiously by recommending the amount of servings a person should eat each day of various categories of foods. The USDA is reassessing both the daily food intake patterns and the graphical method of communicating the message. A 45-day comment period on the intake patters begins today. A comment period on the graphical design will be held in 2004. The updated guide is scheduled to be released in 2005. Comments can be sent to the same contact/address as stated above. According to Western United Dairymen, this time the pyramid revision is being done in a much more private process in which the guidelines will have a considerable impact (last item): http://www.westernuniteddairymen.com/article.php?sid=314

The composition of the newly nominated Advisory Committee has been called into question by public advocates. The Center for Science in the Public Interest wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson urging that 7 of the 13 committee members be replaced due to their close affiliations with the food, drug and dietary supplement industries. Two hundred people from academia, industry and consumer groups were nominated to serve on the committee. The USDA did not disclosed the nominees' corporate affiliations. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has also criticized the committee makeup. PCRM successfully sued the government in 2000 for its failure to disclose financial ties of the previous committee. (For details of the lawsuit and "The Politics of Food: A Brief History of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines," see: http://www.pcrm.org/news/lawsuit.html See also item #9 of: http://tinyurl.com/n0w9 ) The nominees have been praised by the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, a group of leading nutritional science organizations.

"USDA seeks comments on updating Food Guide Pyramid," Meating Place News, Eric Hanson, September 11, 2003.
http://www.meatingplace.com/DailyNews/pop.asp?ID=11243
"Diet Panel Nominees Questioned," The Washington Post, Sally Squires, August 25, 2003.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39944-2003Aug24.html
See also: "USDA Proposes Personalizing Food Pyramid," The Associated Press, Sept. 11, 2003.
http://www.poultryandeggnews.com/poultrytoday/news/20030911/233289.html

11. NATIONAL FARM ANIMAL AWARENESS WEEK: SANCTUARIES
The 11th annual National Farm Animal Awareness Week, coordinated by The Humane Society of the U.S., is scheduled for September 21-27th. This year the focus is on farmed animal sanctuaries (see N.25, V.2). To increase awareness of sanctuaries across the country and their residents, a "Farm Sanctuary Animal of the Year" contest is being held: http://nfaaw.hsus.org A new kids' activity book, with "fun facts," animal hero stories, puzzles, games and coloring pages, is available. See: http://www.hsus.org/ace/19551